Publication: Baltimore Sun [US]
Date: December 1, 1996
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Title: Sun Review
Reviewed By: J.D. Considine

The Artist Formerly Known As Prince
Emancipation (NPG 54982)

Now that his long fight with Warner Bros. is finally over, the Artist Formerly Known as Prince has shaved the word "slave" off his face and announced his own "Emancipation." To say that he has been waiting for this moment would be something of an understatement, given the wealth of material on this 36-song, three-CD set. Even more amazing than the package's size, though, is its consistency. There may not be much in the way of great material here, but neither is there anything that's truly terrible. Instead, what we get are solid grooves, interesting sounds and well-crafted arrangements framing capable (if only mildly catchy) melodies. As always, there are plenty of songs about sex and dancing, as well as a couple of cyber-life numbers (including the gloriously loopy "My Computer") and a few none-too-subtle swipes at the recording industry (the most pointed of which is "White Mansion"). Longtime fans will be fascinated by the cover material (a first for TAFKAP), particularly the falsetto-heavy "La, La, La Means I Love You" and his semi-industrial take on the Joan Osborne hit "One of Us." Perhaps the most beautiful and affecting moments, though, come as TAFKAP moves from "The Holy River" to "Let's Have a Baby," a segue that merges the sacred and profane more perfectly than he ever has.